General David Lee Goldfein (born December 21, 1959) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served over 37 years, culminating as the 21st Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force from 2016 to 2020. Born at Laon-Couvron Air Base in France into a military family, he was the son of Air Force Colonel William “Goldie” Goldfein and grandson of a World War I U.S. Navy veteran. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1983 with a degree in philosophy, later completed training at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, and became a command pilot with more than 4,200 flying hours, flying aircraft such as the T-37, T-38, F-16C/D, F-117A, MQ-9, and MC-12W.

Goldfein commanded at multiple levels, including the 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base, the 366th Operations Group, the 52nd and 49th Fighter Wings, and eventually United States Air Forces Central Command in Qatar. During the NATO Operation Allied Force in May 1999, Goldfein’s F-16C (callsign Hammer 34) was shot down over Serbia by an S-125 missile fired by Yugoslav forces. He successfully ejected, evaded capture, and was rescued by U.S. Air Force Special Operations pararescue teams. This was one of only two crewed NATO aircraft shot down during the campaign.

His leadership qualities led to senior roles as Director of the Joint Staff, Vice Chief of Staff, and ultimately Chief of Staff of the USAF, where he spearheaded modernization efforts including Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) and the B-21 Raider bomber program. He emphasized restoring squadrons as the core warfighting units of the Air Force, advocated for increasing the number of operational squadrons, and played a significant role in shaping the future of Space Force. He also became known for publicly condemning racism, supporting diversity initiatives, and prioritizing ethical leadership in the military.

After retiring in October 2020, Goldfein transitioned into advisory and leadership roles in national security, aerospace, and technology organizations. He became a Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, chaired the Board of Governors of the USO, and was selected as a Distinguished Graduate of the USAF Academy in 2022.

Source of information and photo: en.wikipedia.org